Collapsible ornament



April 1961 R. G. LOUDERBACK 2,977,701

COLLAPSIBLE ORNAMENT Filed June 15, 1959 F73. 5 F7 1 INVENTOR RICHARD G. LOUDERBACK BYJ ATTORNEY of Fig. 1 in a collapsed condition COLLAPSIBLE ORNAMENT Richard G. Louderback, 30s waned Drive,

, Morrisville, Pa.

Filed June is, 1959, Ser. No. 820,522

1 Claim. or. 41-11 This invention relates generally to ornamental devices,

United States Patent and more particularly to an ornamental configuration which may be readily assembled to form a rigid three-J dimensional object and which may bereadily collapsed to a more compact form while remaining in an assembled condition.

Although numerous ornamental devices constructed of an assembly of fitted together notched and relatively thin sheets of material cut to conform to the profile of the article which the ornament is to represent'have been heretofore proposed, these prior art devices have not been intrinsically capable of assuming arigid three-dimensional configuration, or of assuming a substantially twodimensional configuration while remaining in an assembled condition, In some of the prior art ornamental devices a separate spacing member is required for locking the assembled elemental sheets into the desired angularly displaced condition, while themajority. of these presently available ornamental devices have to be completely disassembled for purpose of storage, packaging, or shipment. r; 1

Accordingly, it is a e to provide a plurality of elemental m'eans which may be securedly assembled together to represent a three-dimensional configuration.

Another object of'the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional assembly of elemental members which may be collapsed to assume a more compact form while remaining in an assembled condition.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of notched elemental members capable of being securedly interconnected in a manner to assume a rigid assembly of members in three intersecting planes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved ornamental article of manufacture which may be made in. a wide variety of designs, sizes and colors. i

A still further object of the instant invention isto provide a plurality of notched sheets adapted to being interlocked in an assembly of three intersecting perpendicular planes, which assembly may be collapsed into a substantially single plane of sheets. b

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of p, r 2,977,701 Patented Apr. 4, 1961 Fig. 1 ,whereon a three-dimensional ornamental object 10 having the profile of a six pointed star is illustrated. It will be clear that although the object 10 is illustrated as representing a star-like configuration, this is only by way of example and not limitation, and the object 10 may also be made to represent other configurations, such for example as a snow crystal. The three-dimensional article 10 is made up of three fiat sheets 11, 12', and 13, each of which sheets is composed of a relatively thin and slightly flexible material, such for example as cardboard, or the like. The elemental-sheets 11, 12, and 13 are shown in greater detail in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, respectively, of the drawing.

As more clearly' shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the elemental sheets 11 and 12 are identical in profile and in construc tion, both sheets having a T-slit, 15a and 15b, respectively, formed therein. For the purpose of the instant star-like embodiment, the profile of sheets 11 and 12 are composed of six equidistantly positioned radially extending triangular shaped segments 16a and 16b, respectively, formed integral with a circular center segment, or portion, 17a and 17b, respectively. The center segments of both elemental sheets 11 and 12 are of identical size. The T-slits 15a and 15b consist of a-base leg 18a and 18b, respectively, and a top leg 19a and 1911, respectively, perpendicular to its respective base leg. Since both T- slits "are identically formed in their respective sheets, the manner of'their construction and positioning will be described only With reference to the T-slit 15a of sheet 11; As shown on Fig. 2, thebase leg 18a of T-slit 15a extends from the point of intersection of two adjacent principalfeature of thisinvention triangular shaped segments l6a on the periphery of the central segment 17a, which point of intersectionis desig nated by reference numeral 21, to the'cen'ter 22 of the sheet 11, while the top'leg 19a thereof consists of -two equal length segments 25a and 2612. Mother words, the base leg 18aiisequal in'length to the radius of the central segment, while the top leg 19a is equal in length to onehalf theradius. For configurations other than the instant starlike object, the point 21 may be considered to be that point on the circumference of segment 17a mid way between the points of intersection of a radial line drawn through the center of two adjacent radially extending segments with the circumference,

As more celarly shown in Fig. 4, the elemental sheet 13 also consists of a center circular segment, or portion, 17c, which is of the same size as the center segments 17a this invention will be more readily appreciated as the V same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is an elevational view of the ornamental object of the present invention in an assembled three-dimensional condition;

Figs, 2, 3, and 4 are elevational views of the individual elemental sheets making up the ornamental object of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the ornamental object Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to and 17b, and four equidistantly positioned radially extending triangular shaped segments 16c integrally formed therewith. The number of radial segments formed on sheet 13 is two less than the number formed on the other two elemental sheets. Extending radially inward of the center segment 17c from the points of intersection of each adjacent triangular segments with the periphery of the center segment are four radial slits 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d, each of which is equal in length to one-half the length of top leg 19a of T-slit 15a. For other configurations, these slits extend from points on the circumference of the center segment which are midway between the points of intersection with the circumference of a radial line drawn through the centers of adjacent extending segments.

The width of to the thickness of the material of which the elemental sheets are fabricated to render the assembly more securedly locked in a three-dimensional configuration.

In order to accomplish the three-dimensional configuration of Fig. 1, the following assembly procedure may be followed. First, slide slit 25a of sheet 11 into slit 24a of sheet 13. Next, slide slit 240 of sheet 13 inwardly each slit is preferably made equivalent assume a perpendicular relationship relative to each other. Now hold sheet 11 with slit 18a in a vertically upright position and slit 24b of sheet 13 to face the observer. Insertslit 26b of sheet 12 into slit 24b of sheet 13. Then slide slit 18b of sheet 12 through slit18a of sheet 11 and insert slit 25b of sheet 12 in slit 24d of sheet 13. With but minor manual adjustment of the relative spatial displacement of the elemental sheets, a rigidly and se curedly assembly of elemental sheets in three intersecting perpendicular planes, such for example as the six pointed star-like configuration of Fig. 1, will be obtained.

In order to collapse the three-dimensional configuration into a more compact form, the following procedure may be followed. Position sheet 12 in a horizontal plane with the slit 18b thereof to the left of the observer and sheet 13 in a vertical plane with the edge thereof toward the observer. With the right hand grasp the two triangular extensions of sheet 12 which are diametrically opposite the triangular extensions adjacent slit 18b, and with the left hand grasp the two triangular extensions of sheet 11 which are diametrically opposite the triangular extensions adjacent slit 18a. Then with the right hand twist the portion of sheet 12 nearest the observer downward and to the left, and simultaneously with the lit hand twist the portion of sheet 11 below sheet 12 downward and to the right. If this specific collapsing procedure is followed, all of the elemental sheets will lie in a single plane in the relative positions shown in Fig. of the drawing.

Obviously numerous variations and modifications of the instant invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. Accordingly, it is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herem.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

An ornamental object comprising a trio of sheets of cardboard, each of said sheets having a center circular portion and a plurality of equiangularly spaced radially extending portions integrally formed around the circumference of said center portion, said center circular portion of each of said sheets being of equal diameter, the number of radially extending portions of two of said sheets being equal and the number of radially extending portions of the third of said sheets being two less than the number of radially extending portions on said two sheets; and a plurality of slits formed in the center portion of each of said sheets by means of which said sheets can be interlocked in an assembly of three intersecting perpendicular planes, and alternatively, collapsed into an assembly of a substantially single plane, the slits formed in saidtWosheets being of an identical T-configuration, the base leg of which extends radially inward from a point on the circumference of said center portion midway between two adjacent radially extending portions, the slits formed in the center portion of said third sheet consisting of two pairs of diametrically opposed slits extending radially inward for a distance equal to one-fourth the diameter of said center portion, each of the slits formed in each of said sheets having a width equal to the thickness of said material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 157,156 Janowitz Feb. 7, 1950 D. 160,174 Janowitz Sept. 19, 1950 518,067 Kerr Apr. 10, 1894 618,275 Kerr Jan. 28, 1899 2,067,527 Greene Jan. 12, 1937 2,081,893 Lozier May 25, 1937 2,333,162 Eddy Nov. 2, 1943 2,347,561 Howard et al, Apr. 25, 1944 2,616,199 Robins Nov. 4, 1952 2,659,993 Raymond Nov. 24, 1953 2,787,073 Woolven Apr. 2, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 284,818 Switzerland 5 Dec. 1, 1952 

